things to know

Phantom of the Opera organ 10/31/2000

Over the past few Halloween seasons I have realized that what I have done by building my set-ups is become my own production company. My skills are the same as what would be used in a movie or stage play.

Here is the list I made up as I went along.

*Set Design

*Set Decoration(placement of props and spider webs)

*Lighting

*Carpentry
*Electrical Work

*Art Department (painting and making props)

*Costume Design

*Costuming

*Sound Design(recording and editing sound effects)

*Concept artist

My brother also helps with setting things up and adds his own props.

He's also his own hair and Make-up department. I guess the fog machine would be considered special effects.

Lost in Schlock has a link to an article on the categories of props.

So, in summary the key skills that will help you build your Halloween set-ups should include:

*Sewing

*Soldering

*Carpentry

*Welding (building metal frames)

*Painting {includes painting props} (you don't have to paint like Van Gogh, but I study old paintings to help me)

*Electrical(if you're nervous about wiring things, don't do it, get help.)

*Electronics

*Study how machines work(Like the now defunct Phantasmechanics.com put it, take apart old machines to see how they work, that should help when you're ready to build animated props)

*Sculpting and Casting

*Papier Mache( Some haunters do amazing things with just paper and glue)